Crazy Harts
by reilert79
Summary: Jonathan buys Jennifer a surprise, which leads to someone terrorizing people they know.
1. Chapter 1

***Willow Pond***

Jennifer was at home, waiting on Jonathan to get home. They were supposed to go to dinner together as soon as he got home from the office.

She had been busy all day, working on a new article, and trying to plan a surprise vacation for them. It had been a few months since they had been able to take a few days and go on a real trip together, just the two of them. Alone time was long overdue.

Jonathan came in the door, and quickly came over and kissed her.

"Hi gorgeous. You look fantastic. I am going to quickly change so we can go. I'll be ready in 10 minutes".

"Where are we going?"

"It's a surprise".

She smiled, because she loved the fact that he knew she loved surprises, and that he loved to surprise her.

He quickly came back downstairs, and they left.

***In the car***

"Ok, it's hint time. Does this place have a nice view?"

"I wouldn't know. I can never keep my eyes off you".

"Awww.. that's sweet. Now answer the question".

He chuckled.

"Yes, it does".

"Does it serve only one type of cuisine?"

"No, it has a few different ones".

"Is it somewhere you and I have been before?"

"I have been there, you have not, I don't think".

"Is it Alejandro's?" Jennifer had told him last week that she wanted to go to Alejandro's.

"You got me! You are pretty smart, Mrs. H."

"Well thank you, Mr. H."

They stopped at a red light. A silver BMW convertible pulled up next to them.

"Darling, that car is so gorgeous. Have you ever wanted a BMW?"

"Every time I purchased the Mercedes, my choice was between that or the BMW".

"Well, if I was buying a car, I would definitely buy the BMW. I love the Mercedes, and I love my Porsche, but I had a BMW when I was in college and I absolutely loved it".

"What color would you get?"

"Silver, probably. I like the dark blue too".

They continued to chat on the way to the restaurant.

After their dinner, they were driving home when Jonathan suddenly went a different way.

"Darling, where are we going?"

"Well, there is a second surprise for today, and we are going to go see it".

She smiled big and laced her fingers through his.

A few minutes later, they pulled up to this ritzy store, in the heart of downtown.

"Surprise!"

"You didn't!"

"I did".

"For me?"

"For you".

He got out and came around to her side of the car, and opened the door for her.

"Darling….I can't believe it".

"Let's go check it out".

He unlocked the door and they went inside.

"It's a boutique. I bought it completely furnished, lock, stock and barrel. Up till now, it was casual clothes, but this is yours- you can sell whatever you want".

Jennifer was looking all around.

"Jonathan…I don't have a clue what I am doing. I don't have the faintest idea of how to run a store".

"Jennifer-I am going to hire you a consultant, and they will help you. We will hire managers and clerks and whatever else you need. I promise, we can make this work".

She started walking around, and began to throw ideas out.

"Evening wear….designer shoes and handbags…lingerie….business clothes…denim…paint the walls purple and silver and change the name…got to have a cute name…."

Jonathan was loving seeing her creativity come out, and seeing how she was planning even though she claimed to not know what to do.

He finally managed to drag her out of there about an hour later.

After he locked the door, she wrapped her arms around him.

"Thank you, darling. This is going to be fun".

He kissed her, and they walked to the car.

She was lost in thought the whole way home.

***Willow Pond***

Jennifer came inside and went and put her nightgown on, and then immediately grabbed her laptop. She started researching everything to do with fashion and how to run a successful boutique. Within an hour, she had a list of brands she wanted to carry, and a sketch of how she wanted the layout to be.

She had also looked up the names of some fashion consultants, and business consultants she wanted to talk to.

She had made a list of boutique names and finally decided on Crazy Harts. Crazy because of the crazy way she and Jonathan met, and Harts because, well, duh.

She decided they would sell evening gowns, dress clothes, shoes and handbags, plus jewelry and maybe a skin care line or a makeup line or two. She wanted to start slow, and build her way up.

Jonathan had fallen asleep next to her, on the bed.

She started to nudge him.

"Jonathan….Jonathan…."

"You are so beautiful…"

"No, not that. I have to ask you some questions".

She leaned across him and turned on the light.

"Darling…..when do we take possession of the boutique?"

"We did today."

"Ok, so I made a list of what I am going to need. It's a pretty long list, but I am hoping you can help me with it".

"Is sleep on the list? Sleep should be on the list".

"Jonathan, be serious".

He finally sat up, and wrapped his arm around her.

"I need someone to help me go through the inventory of what is in there so that we know what we want to keep and throw out. I need someone to help me sell what I don't want, and I need someone to help me get in contact with the brands that I want to carry. I need a buyer and some furniture…. And I want to paint".

"Darling…I love seeing how excited you are about this. Really, I do. But, it's after midnight, can't we get some sleep and do all this tomorrow? I promise I will help you however I can, and we will get you whatever you need, but not in the middle of the night, ok?"

She leaned over and kissed him. "Ok. I'm sorry".

"It's ok".

She got up and put everything on the window seat and then came back to bed.

He turned the light off as she snuggled up to him and tried to sleep.

He rubbed her back as she fell asleep on his shoulder.

***The next morning***

They both got up when his alarm went off, and had breakfast and coffee downstairs.

"Darling, are you going to the office, or to the boutique with me?"

"Boutique with you first, then the office".

She nodded.

"I really am excited about this".

"I know, you were up half the night".

She playfully punched him in the arm.

"It's cute to see you so excited about something".

He grabbed her hand and squeezed it, before she took their plates to the sink.

They left together and she followed him to the boutique.

He gave her the key, and she did the honors.

They went inside and turned the lights on.

"Darling, I have an electrician coming, and a plumber coming and a general contractor coming to see if there is anything that needs to be fixed. And I am going to give you Lindsay and Megan from the office, to help you with inventory. After you get that situated, we can take the next step. I will hire you a business advisor if you'd like".

"I'd love it".

He stayed with her till the other people got there, and they started making lists of what they wanted to do.

Before long, she was off and running with the contractor and he was kissing her bye and heading to the office.

She worked till 6, and went home so tired she couldn't see straight.

***Willow Pond***

She came in the house and called out for Jonathan.

"Up here, darling".

She went upstairs and found him in their bedroom.

She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him.

"Darling, close your eyes".

She did as she was told.

He undressed her, slowly.

"Jonathan, this is very sweet, but-"

"But nothing, Jennifer. Just trust me".

She nodded.

After he was done undressing her, he scooped her up and carried her to the bathroom, and lowered her into the tub.

He had filled it with hot water and Epsom salts and relax bath salts.

"Ahhh…."

She opened her eyes and grabbed his face and kissed him.

"You are the best! This feels so good".

He turned the jets on for her, and lit her some candles, and then poured her a glass of wine, and left her to relax.

After about 20 minutes, he came and joined her in the tub and scrubbed her back for her and rubbed her shoulders.

After a relaxing bath, they climbed out and dried off and got ready for bed.

"I ordered us dinner. Dinner in bed, babe?"

"It sounds absolutely fabulous".

He went downstairs to get it and bring it up.

When he got back upstairs with their trays, she was fast asleep.

He ate by himself, and then put hers on the window seat.

He climbed back into bed and wrapped his arms around her and kissed her goodnight.

***A month later***

Crazy Harts was coming together. They had painted the walls purple and all of the shelves were either black or silver. She had hired a buyer and let the buyer figure out what lines they were going to carry.

Grand opening was in a week, and everything was coming together.

The goal was to get it up and running, and then she would only be in to check on things every week or every other week or so. She had hired a manager and several store clerks, and a bookkeeper. If Jennifer wasn't at the boutique, she was researching boutique trends, and looking up what other boutiques were doing and what they were offering. She had already earmarked in her calendar when the market trips were and had planned to attend.

The manager had a hiring day, and they hired some really good, sweet girls. Lindley was a sophomore in college, and had the sweetest disposition. Kelsey was 19, and had just moved to the city to be an actress. Allyson was 18, and starting college in the fall. Whitney was a fashion design major at UCLA. Sloane was just out of college and needed a second job to pay the rent. Jennifer and Natalie, the manager were pleased with all of them.

They had a training, and everyone did very well. Jennifer was so ready for the grand opening the next Friday.

***Next week***

Grand opening was in 2 days, and Jennifer was so excited she could hardly stand it. Everything looked amazing at the store, and they were hanging the sign today. She had the idea to have a giveaway with the first 100 customers, so she was organizing that, and Natalie was taking fliers all over town and distributing them.

Jonathan had asked some employees at Hart Industries to come to the grand opening and to come help out if needed. He was so proud to see her take this and run with it.

He went by and picked her up at the store around 6. He could tell by looking at her that she was dog tired.

"Hi darling. Feel up to some dinner?"

"I am starved, Mr. H."

He leaned down and kissed her.

"Me too. La Scala?"

"Yes, please. Just let me grab my stuff".

He waited by the door while she grabbed her things and said goodnight to the others.

They headed out and he drove her to La Scala.

***La Scala***

They pulled up and parked, and went inside.

They were seated almost immediately.

"So, after the grand opening weekend, how often are you going to work at the boutique?"

"I am not sure. I want to do it like 1-2 days a week, just to keep up with things. But everyone we have hired is great, and I know they can handle things without me."

"That sounds like a great plan".

After a nice dinner, they headed home.

***Willow Pond***

They stopped and got Jennifer's car, and he followed her to the house.

She came inside and immediately went upstairs to change for bed.

He was waiting for her in bed when she was finished.

"How about one of my classic massages?"

"Absolutely".

She immediately flopped onto her stomach and he began massaging her.

After about 20 minutes, she was so relaxed.

He climbed off her back and wrapped his arms around her.

She managed to mumble a "thank you" before she fell fast asleep.

***The next morning***

Jonathan woke up to Jennifer straddling him and kissing his chest.

He quickly returned the sentiment and they made mad, passionate love before getting ready for the day.

She was downstairs and had one of his favorite breakfasts ready- Spanish omelet with a side of bacon, and had made him coffee with her secret ingredients.

She was at the sink when he came into the kitchen.

He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to him.

"You sure know how to wake a guy up, Mrs. H."

"That was because I fell asleep on you last night, Mr. H."

"You earned it- you have been working your tail off to get the boutique ready".

"I know. I can't believe we open tomorrow night at 6. Are you going to be there to help me cut the ribbon?"

"Absolutely".

She kissed him, and then they ate and then headed to work.

***Friday***

Jennifer was at the boutique at 7 a.m. getting everything ready. They had one more display to put up, and then she wanted to hang some curtains so that they could do an unveiling after the ribbon cutting.

She worked till about 1, and then went home to get ready.

She was back by 4, running around like crazy. She had decided on a pair of black and purple palazzo pants, a purple Italian silk blouse, and some chunky silver and black flip flops.

Jonathan got there around 5, and just stood and watched her for a little bit. He was so crazy proud of her.

At 5:50, they went outside and taped the ribbon across the doorway.

She gave a small speech thanking everyone and telling everyone about the store.

"And I want to thank my husband Jonathan for buying me this boutique and letting me run it, and believing I could even though I told him I couldn't."

She cut the ribbon, and then everyone cheered, and they opened the doors.

She and Natalie hoisted the curtains, and people began to shop. They were giving away tumblers and t-shirts to the first 100 people, and coupons to everyone as well.

They finally closed at 10 p.m., and everyone shared a glass of champagne with her for a great first night.

"Ok, see all of you tomorrow. We are open 10-7 tomorrow, and 10-6 Sunday".

She and Jonathan locked up and headed home.

Neither of them noticed the man watching them in the parking lot. He had been sitting there since the grand opening. He had gone inside, and looked around some, but then returned to his car. As each employee left, he made notes on what they looked like, and what car they got into.

Across the top of the page, he wrote the words "Don't Underestimate Me".


	2. Chapter 2

***Two weeks later***

The boutique was busy every day, and Jennifer was still spending 1-2 days a week up there, going through everything. She was amazed at how well things were selling.

She came home to Willow Pond, and found Jonathan waiting on her.

"Hi darling. Aren't you a sight for sore eyes!"

She went to him and kissed him.

"Hi yourself. Have a good day?"

"Yes, just busy. Glad to be home".

She sat in his lap and he handed her a cocktail.

"Well, tonight is all about relaxing. We are going to have dinner delivered, we are going to soak in the hot tub, and we aren't going to have any distractions, or interruptions".

"Oh, that sounds heavenly. Peace and quiet, just me and you".

She leaned forward and kissed him.

"That's the general idea".

He kissed her again.

"Dinner will be here in about an hour. I ordered your favorite from L'Orangerie, and there is a bottle of champagne chilling in the refrigerator".

"You think of everything".

She took a sip of her cocktail.

"How was the board meeting today?"

"Fine. They followed my recommendations and we are making adequate progress on the Todd Electronics merger".

"That's wonderful. Are you still going to be able to get away and take a vacation next month?"

"Looking pretty good".

She smiled at him and tweaked his nose.

"Care to give me a hint on where we are going?"

"Nope. It's a surprise".

He leaned forward and started kissing her neck.

"Jonathan, this isn't going to work".

"Just give it a minute".

She chuckled at him.

"I'm serious. No hints".

"Jennifer….I need to know what to pack".

"You will know what to pack….don't worry".

He continued to kiss her neck.

"I need to know if I need my passport".

"You will know that too".

"I need to know how long we will be gone".

"I will tell you everything then, I promise".

She leaned forward and set her cocktail on the coffee table.

He pushed her to lay down on the couch and laid on top of her.

"What if I told you that we were going to lay here till you told me a hint about where we were going?"

"I would tell you that you were crazy, and that I can hold out longer than you can, Mister".

"Oh really?"

She nodded.

He started to unbutton her blouse and move his kisses lower.

She took a deep breath.

"Jonathan, this is doing absolutely nothing for me".

"Just give it a minute…. You love me, you know you do. And deep down, you want to give me a hint, you really, really, do".

She started to unbutton his shirt. "Nope, I'm good".

She kissed his chest, and ran her fingers through his hair.

"No hints, darling. I'm sorry".

He quickly took her shirt off her, and kissed and suckled on her nipples some.

She reached down and started to unbuckle his pants.

He resumed kissing her neck.

"Are you ready to give up that hint yet?"

"Almost".

Their hips met, and she guided him to where she wanted him.

She wrapped her arms around his neck as their bodies joined together. He kissed her nice and slow, as they tenderly made love right there on the couch.

After they were both spent, they laid there a few minutes, holding each other.

He pulled her on top of him, and gave her a fingertip back massage, and covered them with a blanket.

"Jennifer, it's time".

"It's time? Time for what?"

"Time for the hint".

She cracked up and playfully swatted him.

"Ok, I suppose you can have one hint. But that's all".

She sat up and propped herself up on one elbow, and looked at him.

"We are going to the…."

She kissed him.

He was eagerly awaiting her answer.

"Where, babe?"

The gate buzzed.

She cracked a smile and wrapped the blanket around herself and went to answer it.

He was putting his clothes on.

"hello?"

"Delivery from L'Orangerie".

"Come on up".

She went upstairs to get a nightgown on, while he paid for the delivery and accepted it.

She found him in the kitchen, and wrapped her arms around him.

"I am starved….."

"Jennifer, you didn't finish the hint".

He was putting their dinner on plates.

"I didn't? I could have sworn I did".

He stared at her.

"Ok, you win. We are going to the Maldives".

"Are you serious?"

She nodded.

He picked her up and spun her around.

"Just you, me, and the crystal blue waters".

"it will be amazing".

They ate dinner, and then soaked in the hot tub, where he gave her a real back rub, and she gave him one too.

They had just come in from the hot tub when the phone rang. She went to get it.

"Hello? Oh hi, Lindley. No, you aren't bothering me, what's going on?...What? Are you sure?...Oh that's awful. Yes, you did the right thing…. I will be there tomorrow, it's going to be ok. Try to get some sleep….Ok, goodnight".

She hung up the phone and looked at Jonathan.

"One of the girls that works at the boutique was murdered".

"Murdered?"

"Yes. Lindley and Kelsey had just moved in together. Kelsey worked the last shift last night, and when Lindley got up this morning, she wasn't home. She said that the police were waiting on her when she got home tonight, and told her that Kelsey had been found dead. She was concerned as to whether or not she should have called me".

He wrapped his arms around her and held her for a minute.

They turned the lights out and went upstairs to bed.

***The next morning***

Jonathan followed Jennifer to the boutique.

Lindley was there to open. Jennifer went over and gave her a hug.

"Have her parents been contacted?"

Lindley nodded. "She was from Texas, so they are coming up this weekend to pack all of her things and they said they were going to have a funeral for her back in Texas".

Jonathan took a deep breath.

"Lindley, do you know if she ever made it home from working that night?"

"I don't think she did. If she did, she didn't stay there. Her bed was definitely not slept in. I had done laundry, and I placed her towels on her bed, and they hadn't been disturbed".

Jennifer decided to be proactive.

"Ok, girls, I want you to start leaving here in groups. From now on, there will be two people working the closing shift. You all should leave together, so nobody walks out by themselves. And I want all of you to put this in your purse, and use it if you need to, no matter what time of day". It was a business card with her and Jonathan's names and their phone number.

They all nodded.

Jonathan looked at Jennifer.

"Darling, if you want to hire a security firm, we can totally do that".

"Not just yet. I think that might scare off customers".

He nodded.

"I am going to call the owner of the strip mall and see if they have a security patrol".

"That's a good idea. I would feel better if they could call someone to watch them go to their cars at least".

The detectives investigating Kelsey's case came and asked a few questions.

"Detective, can you tell us where she was found or how she was found?"

"Well, she was found in an alley behind a strip mall about 4 miles from here. She appeared to have been running errands before she was killed, as the bag of her purchases was still in her hand. She had been strangled. The word 'impure' was carved into her chest".

"Oh that poor girl".

Jonathan put his arm around Jennifer.

The detectives reminded everyone to be vigilant, and then told Jennifer he would be in touch, and left.

The store was about to open. Jennifer walked over to Lindley.

"Are you all right?"

"Yes ma'am. I'm just sad".

"We all are. But this could have happened to any of us, and there wasn't anything we could have done to prevent it".

Lindley nodded.

Jonathan came over.

"Babe, I'm headed to the office."

She walked him to the door.

"I love you, see you tonight".

"Be careful. Love you too".

He kissed her a few times, and then left.

Jennifer busied herself by restocking some of the shelves and going over the books in the back office. She worked till 4, told the girls to call her if they needed her, reminded them to be careful and left.

She was walking to her car when she was approached by a man.

"Excuse me, ma'am? Can you please give me directions?"

"Where are you headed?"

"I am trying to get to West Alameda Boulevard and Webster Ave".

"Oh that's easy. Just turn right at the light, and go three traffic lights down, and take a left, that's Webster".

"Thank you, so much".

She got in her car and headed home to Willow Pond.

He got in his car, and made some notes, wrote down her license plate number, and then drove off.

***4 days later***

Sloane and Lindley were working the closing shift at the boutique. The store closed at 7, and they were finished closing by 8.

They walked out together and Lindley locked up. They both reached their cars at the same time.

After bidding each other goodnight, they both drove off.

Sloane called her mom as she drove, and they chatted a bit.

"I am going to run to the pharmacy and pick up my prescriptions, and then I am going to soak in a tub tonight when I get home. I cannot wait to be home in 3 weeks. Ok, gotta go. Love you momma".

She hung up, and parked outside her pharmacy.

She went inside, ordered her prescriptions, shopped a little bit and then picked up her prescriptions.

"I see you live at the Village Square Apartments- I looked at those, do you like them?"

Sloane nodded at the guy ringing her up.

"Yes, I do. Very nice, very quiet".

"How is the parking? Where I live, there seems to never be enough parking".

"Parking is ok. I usually park on the street and use the alley by my building to get to my apartment. It's quicker".

"Great idea. Well, maybe one day we will be neighbors".

She paid and then headed out.

She ran to the grocery store, and then headed home. She pulled up and parked on the street outside her building, and grabbed all her bags, and took the alley towards her apartment.

She didn't see him hiding in the bush next to the alley. She didn't hear him quicken his pace behind her. By the time she realized he was there, it was too late. He had already wrapped the cord around her neck, and pulled it tight.

She dropped her packages as she fought for air, but ultimately, she gave up the fight.

Before he ran off into the night, he carved the word "unclean" into her chest.

***Willow Pond***

It was almost 10 p.m. when the phone rang. Jonathan and Jennifer were in bed, reading.

Jonathan picked up the phone.

"Hello?"

"Jonathan, it's Lt. Gray".

"Hi, how are you?"

"Listen, I wouldn't normally call you this late at night, but I thought you would want to hear it from me. Dispatch was called to an apartment complex, and there was a young girl found deceased, and your phone number was on a business card in her purse, and had the word emergency written on it. Her name was Sloane McCallum. Did you know her?"

"Yes, she worked at my wife's boutique".

"We think the murders of Sloane and Kelsey Newton might be related. Like they might be targeted for some reason. I don't, at this time, think that the boutique is the reason, but it can't hurt to protect yourself and pass it on to the other employees".

"We will do just that, I assure you. Thanks Lt."

He hung up the phone.

Jennifer was looking concerned.

"Jonathan, what is it?"

"Sloane, from the boutique. She was killed tonight. Lt. Gray thinks that she and Kelsey might have been targeted, but he can't say for certain if it was because of the boutique."

He wrapped an arm around her.

"Jonathan…. We have a duty to them to keep them safe".

"Yes, we do, and we are doing all we can. This happened at her apartment, after she left the boutique".

"She still could have been followed, Jonathan."

"Yes, she could have."

She put her head on his chest and was quiet for a bit.

"Maybe we should hire security".

"I will do it first thing in the morning".

He reached up and turned out the light, and held her as she fell asleep. He hoped that he had eased her worries, but he wasn't sure.

***Across town***

The man was in a dingy, gloomy apartment. He was sitting on his couch, eating ice cream and watching TV.

The news came on, and the lead story was about Sloane's murder. He finished his ice cream as he watched the story, and his expression never changed once.

He got up, took his bowl to the sink, and headed to the second bedroom.

On the wall, he had pictures of all of them. The blondes from San Francisco, the brunettes from when he lived in San Jose. Now that he lived in LA, he was trying hard to not typecast himself. Kelsey had been his first red head. He had added her picture a week or so ago. He walked over to his computer, and went to the website of the local news station. He printed off the picture of Sloane that they had used in their story, and taped it to the wall. He picked up the red marker and drew an 'x' over her face.


	3. Chapter 3

***The next morning***

Jonathan and Jennifer were at the boutique by 8. Jennifer had Natalie call all the employees and tell them to come in for a meeting.

Everyone was assembled by 8:30, and they began the meeting.

"Jonathan and I got a phone call last night, that Sloane was murdered outside her apartment. We don't know whether or not the target is specifically our boutique, but we cannot rule it out. So, this morning we are hiring security, to stand guard outside the shop. When you leave, they will walk you to your car. When you get home, I want you to call me at my home, and check in. We aren't taking any chances. Now, did anyone know where Sloane was going last night after she left here?"

Whitney spoke up.

"She told me she was going to the pharmacy to get her birth control refilled, and to get some bubble bath. I asked her if she wanted to get dinner with me after we closed and she said she was going to order a pizza and eat it in the bathtub".

"Lindley, did Kelsey mention going to the pharmacy or ordering a pizza?"

"No, she didn't. But I know she was on birth control, because she had me put the patch on her back the night we moved in together".

"I can't imagine that birth control would be the link here, but I guess we can't rule it out. Seriously girls, I want you to know that whatever you do, trust your instincts. If you have to call me at home 100 times a day, do it. I just want you to be safe, and I want you to know that we value your safety. We would never make you do anything that wasn't safe".

They all nodded.

Jonathan called and hired a security firm.

"Darling, I am going to call the owner of the strip and see if we can get cameras installed in the parking lot as well as in the bay right outside the door".

"Great idea. And if he says no, tell him we will pay for them ourselves. And, do you know a store that sells mace? I want to get mace for all the girls".

"On it, babe".

He went to the phone and called Kelly, and instructed her to go pick some up, and bring them to Crazy Harts. He was on the phone with the owner for quite a while, and couldn't convince him to agree to cameras.

He hung up the phone mad, and came over to where Jennifer was.

"Are you going to be alright here? I can stay if you want me to".

"No, I'll be fine. I promise. What did he say about the cameras?"

"He said no, but I'm not giving up just yet. I have another few tricks up my sleeve".

"Well, thanks for trying".

"Of course. Call me when you leave?"

She nodded.

He kissed her a few times and then left.

He drove around to the back of the building, and then back around to the front, and then came back in.

"I have an idea. What if everyone parked in the back? The security company can have one guy there and one guy at this entrance, and when you close, you can walk out the back, and you will be closer to your car? I will call an electrician and have him put more lights out back as soon as possible, and we can put another alarm panel by the back door?"

"That's a great idea. Ok, girls, go move your cars to the back, and I will let everyone in".

Jonathan went and called the alarm company and talked them into coming out today, and then he called an electrician and told them he would pay triple their asking price if they could come today.

Jennifer propped the door open, and was waiting there by the back door with Jonathan.

She wrapped her arms around him.

"You think of the best ideas".

She leaned up and kissed him.

After everyone was inside, he left again, and told her to call him when the technician and the electrician came.

It was business as usual till the afternoon, when Lt. Gray stopped by.

He and Jennifer walked and talked some, and then when they got back to her office, he told her that another girl from the store at the other end of the strip had been murdered as well.

"I think that the link is this strip, not the stores itself, but this strip. I could be wrong, but I don't have anything else to go on".

She nodded.

"I will keep you updated. Watch yourself, and tell your girls to watch themselves too".

"Thanks, Lt."

She called Jonathan at the office and filled him in, and then told him she was heading home.

"Have the security guard check your car before you get in, darling. And call me when you get home".

"Ok, I love you".

"Love you too".

She had the girls promise to use their mace if they needed to, promise to call her if they needed her, and told them she was going home.

She got in the car after having the security guy check it thoroughly, and called Jonathan.

"I'm headed home, darling".

"Ok, be careful. Call me when you get there. Everything else go ok?"

"Yes, the rest of the day was fine".

"Glad to hear it. I will be home soon. I love you".

"I love you too".

***Willow Pond***

Jennifer came inside and locked the door behind her, and headed upstairs. She drew herself a bath, and took a long, hot soak.

Normally, in the bath, she would close her eyes and relax. However, this time, she decided to think out everything she knew about Kelsey's and Sloane's murders. They both left the shop after working the night shift, and closing up, and they were both murdered before they could get home. Kelsey wasn't discovered till the next morning, but Sloane was discovered right after.

'That's not a big deal, Sloane lived in an apartment. Someone she lived next to found her'.

She kept thinking.

They both ran errands before they went home. They knew that Sloane went to the pharmacy before she left, because she was heard talking about it and the pharmacy bag was found on her person.

Jennifer made a mental note to ask Lt. Gray to tell her about how Kelsey was found and what was found on her and all that. Her gut was telling her that someone followed both of them from the time they left either Crazy Harts or one of their errands.

Parking in the back was going to help, and so would having cameras. Jennifer was going to have to make Jonathan pressure the landlord into getting them.

She thought about the other shops in the strip. There was a bookstore, a shoe store, and an insurance office and a nail salon. She made a mental note to ask Lt. Gray if there were any similarities between the boutique girls who were murdered and the one at the other end of the strip.

She got out of the bath shortly after, and put on some yoga pants and a tank top.

She was downstairs in the kitchen when Jonathan got home.

"Hi darling". He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her a few times.

"Hi yourself. You have the best timing. Dinner is almost ready".

"Oh? What are we having?"

"Chicken enchiladas and Spanish rice".

"Sounds yummy".

She went and made them cocktails and they sat on the couch while they waited for the timer to go off.

"Darling, I made a list of things I think we should go over with Lt. Gray. And, I know that you already talked to him, but I think we need to talk to the landlord again, and really convince him to let us have cameras".

"Jennifer-"

"Darling, we need cameras. It's a matter of safety, and we owe it to the girls to keep them safe".

"Jennifer-"

"Just please promise me you will ask him?"

She leaned forward and gave him a light peck.

"Ok. I promise".

He kissed her again.

"And I just asked him".

He kissed her again.

"And….he says yes, absolutely".

He kissed her again.

"What are you talking about?"

"Darling….I asked him twice today. Once at the store, and once from Hart Industries. He said no both times, so I bought the entire property from him. We take possession in 15 days, and I will install cameras as soon as we do".

She threw her arms around his neck.

"You are amazing!"

She kissed him a few times.

"I drew up some sketches at the office today. We are going to totally renovate the back part of the lot, and make it an employee parking lot only, and put security and cameras out there. We are going to take the empty bay at the end and make that the security office, and there will be someone watching cameras at all times. We are going to have cameras outside the fronts of the stores, and a security guard that patrols the storefronts. And I am going to meet with the store owners next week, tell them I am taking over and ask for their input as well".

"You always have the best ideas".

She leaned forward and kissed him.

"Now, darling, what did you want to talk to Lt. Gray about?"

"Well, it occurred to me that maybe both girls ran the same errand after they left work, and that could be the key. Also, he told me that a girl that worked at a store on the other end had been murdered as well, and I want to know if there were any similarities? Do they have any leads in either of the girl's cases? And-"

"Ok, darling. Take a breath. It's ok. It's going to be ok. We are going to figure this out, believe me".

She nodded and bit her lip to hold back tears.

"It's just…they are our girls… and-"

"I know. We feel responsible for them, I get it."

She leaned her head on his shoulder and he wrapped an arm around her.

The timer on the oven went off, and she jumped up and headed to the kitchen.

After it was all ready and on the table, she called and told him dinner was ready.

They had a nice dinner, and he promised to call Lt. Gray and ask him Jennifer's questions.

She was doing the dishes after dinner when she suddenly had an idea.

"Darling…what if I worked the night shift every night this week? I mean, I own the place, so I can do that, right? I could go in at 1, and get off at 7. They could stay safe while I am there, and you and I can have late dinners, which would mean you could go in a little later to stay a little later…"

"Jennifer- this isn't because you weren't there. That's not why they were followed and murdered."

"But would they have been if I had been there?"

"Yes, in all likelihood, yes. And do you want to know why?"

"Why?"

She was speaking to him very sternly, as he was to her as well.

"Because, they weren't killed at the store. They were killed at home. So, let's review. They left the store and went to run their errands, and then went home. Unless you are planning on holding the hands of the girls as they leave the store, and following their every move for the rest of the night, it isn't going to be a deterrent for you to work late with them".

"Fine!".

He reached out and caught her before she could leave the room.

"Jennifer-I am not trying to make you feel bad. Honest. But honey, you are over analyzing this, and we aren't getting anywhere".

She let out a long sigh and moved past him and went upstairs.

He finished the dishes and then came upstairs and joined her.

She was laying on her side in bed, with her back towards his side of the bed, watching TV.

He changed into his pajamas, and then joined her in bed.

He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close to him.

"This isn't your fault. This didn't happen because you weren't there, or because they worked for you".

He kissed the top of her head.

She didn't say anything else. He could tell she was still worried about it, but at least they weren't arguing about it.

***Across town***

The man slipped into his second room and took a seat. He sat back and admired all of the pictures he had taken and had developed.

He wrote out the notes that he had taken on a white board, and finally decided who his next victim was going to be. He walked over to the picture, and took a red marker and wrote "Unchaste" across her face.


	4. Chapter 4

***Three days later***

Jennifer was up early. She was going into Crazy Harts to supervise the installation of the cameras.

Jonathan was still sleeping. She figured she would start making him some breakfast and that would wake him up. The smell of bacon always seemed to reach his nose.

She was in the kitchen, finishing up their eggs and bacon when he came downstairs.

"Morning darling. Breakfast is almost ready".

She leaned up and kissed him.

"Morning. I'm starved". He pulled her in for another kiss.

They ate a quick breakfast, and then he followed her to the boutique.

***Crazy Harts***

Jennifer pulled up and parked, and Jonathan parked right next to her.

She had noticed as they drove through the parking lot that there was one other car parked in the main lot, but aside from that, the strip was empty. It was 7:45, and none of the other stores opened till 9. Crazy Harts opened at 10.

She and Jonathan went in through the back, and turned the lights on.

She checked the schedule and saw that Whitney and Allyson were scheduled to open, and Natalie was working swing, and Lindley and Natalie were closing.

"How long are you staying here today, darling?"

"Probably till 3 or 4."

He nodded.

She went over some books while they waited for the camera installation crew.

Jonathan was sitting next to her, helping her figure out what other expenses they would need in the future.

Around 9, the installation crew got there.

She let them in, and they went over what they wanted. Jonathan also told him that he wanted to hire them to put cameras along the entire strip once he took possession of the strip.

Around 9:30, there was a knock at the door. It was a man.

"Hi, can I help you?"

"I hope so. I am trying to meet someone, and they are running late, and I am real worried, so I was wondering if I could use your phone to call and check on them? I won't be but a minute".

"Certainly. I'll be right back".

She went and got him the telephone, and took it to him.

Whitney was coming in the back just as Jennifer returned to the office. She saw him over Jennifer's shoulder.

"What is he doing here?"

"He just needed to borrow the phone. Why, do you know him?"

Whitney nodded.

"I changed pharmacies because of him. I used to go to Wagner's Pharmacy on 7th street, and he is the pharmacy tech. He would ask seriously personal questions about me and why I needed the medicines and then one day, I went home and slept a few hours, and then ran some errands, and I swear to you, he was in every store that I went into the entire day. He creeps me out, big time".

"Ok, it's ok. He will be gone in a second, and you will be ok".

Whitney nodded.

Jennifer went out to the salesfloor again, and he handed her the phone and thanked her and left out the front door.

Whitney joined Jennifer.

"You see, he's leaving. It's ok".

"Mrs. Hart, he sits in his car and just watches people all day long. He has been in the parking lot the last 3 days that I have worked".

"Why didn't you say something?"

"I thought I was overreacting and I didn't want to bug anyone. He didn't do anything, he was just watching people from his car".

"Well, I am going to be here all day long, till around 4. If he is still here when I leave, I will figure out how to get him off the property."

She nodded

It was business as usual the rest of the day. Jonathan kissed Jennifer goodbye around 10, and headed to the office.

"See you tonight, darling".

"Love you, see you tonight".

She worked on the books the rest of the day, and was pleased to see that in spite of all of the chaos, they were making a nice profit.

She sent flowers to both of the girls families, and had received a nice thank you note from both families in return. She wanted to honor the girls in some way, but she wasn't sure how.

She finally decided to name a dressing room after each of them, and have a little plaque on the wall with their names and pictures, and something nice like "Forever In Our Hearts".

She went to the sales floor around 3:00, and looked out the window. The telephone man was still there, sitting in his car, watching.

She suddenly had an idea.

She called Lt. Gray.

"Lt.? This is Jennifer Hart. I need to ask you some questions".

"Go ahead".

"Kelsey Newton, and Sloane McCallum, do you know what pharmacy they used?"

"I believe it was Wagner's. The one on 7th street. We found a prescription that had just been purchased with Sloane, and we found a receipt in Kelsey's purse from that pharmacy as well".

"Ok, so this is a long shot. But, there is a guy who sitting in his car in the parking lot and he's just staring at people and watching them, has been all day. One of my sales girls told me this morning that she used to use Wagner's pharmacy on 7th, and she stopped because he was too personal with her and too creepy. And Lt., both Sloane and Kelsey, as well as the girl who told me this, were getting birth control from that pharmacy. I am wondering if he is opposed to birth control and that's what is making him do this".

"Could be. Problem is, we would have to catch him in the act".

They chatted a little longer and then hung up.

She started to form a plan, but she knew Jonathan would never go for it.

***Willow Pond***

Jennifer got home around 5, and was sitting on the couch, with a cocktail when Jonathan got home.

She decided not to tell him just yet about her plan. She didn't want to debate it with him.

She decided to distract him by teasing him about their Maldives trip.

He came and sat by her, and wrapped his arms around her.

"21".

"21 what?"

"Days till we go on our trip, darling".

"I am so ready."

"How long are you able to take off?"

"As long as I need to".

"Well, for starters, our flights from beginning to end are about 28 hours. That's if we fly commercial. If you want Jack to fly us, then we could probably break that up, and fly ½ way one day, and the rest the next, I would suppose. But, the hotel that I want to stay in, has an offer where if you book 12 nights, you get 4 nights free".

"Can you leave the boutique for that long?"

"I think so. Natalie is more than capable, and the others can help her if needed. I think we might start closing on Sundays, which would give her a day off".

"Well, how about this-I will call Jack and ask him what his preference is. If he thinks the trip is too treacherous, then we will fly commercial".

He leaned over and kissed her.

"Great idea".

She got up and started dinner, and then called the boutique to check in.

"Everything is fine, Mrs. Hart. The man is in his car again, but he hasn't come back inside the store or anything".

"Ok, well, be careful. And call me if you need me".

They hung up, and she tried to focus on Jonathan.

After a nice dinner, they took a long soak in a bubble bath, and tried to relax.

Jonathan rubbed her back for her, and started kissing her neck.

He loved it more than anything when he could kiss her and feel her respond to his touch. He loved knowing that she loved for him to kiss and touch her, and that he could touch her in a way that nobody else could. It was part of what made them electric.

Just when he was about to heat things up, she turned to him and kissed him.

"The water's getting cold". She was whispering in his ear, which always drove him crazy.

He quickly stood up, and got them towels and helped her out of the tub.

After they were dried off, she headed to the closet to grab one of his pajama shirts, and he grabbed her and scooped her up and took her to bed.

He laid her down on the bed and covered his mouth with hers.

She ran her fingers through his hair, and wrapped her legs around his.

He started kissing her neck in the special spot, the one that drove her crazy and ignited her passion at the same time. He covered them with the sheet while they explored each other's bodies, and joined together as one.

Their connection was so strong, that every time was just as exciting as the first.

"Jonathan…. I want you".

"I want you too, babe".

She was scratching his back and pulling him towards her, as he took her over the edge.

They went over the edge together a few minutes later, and then he took her over it once more before they collapsed together and laid there, in the dark.

Just as they were about to fall asleep, the phone rang.

She reached over and got it.

"Hello?"

"I am calling for a Jennifer Hart- this is Bel Air Community Hospital".

"This is Jennifer Hart".

"We have a young lady in the hospital, she was brought in a little while ago, and she was clutching a business card with your number on it."

"Do you know who it is?"

"Whitney Barrow".

"Ok, I will be right there. Thank you".

She jumped up and started getting dressed. Jonathan got ready too, and insisted on driving her.

***Bel Air Community Hospital***

Jennifer and Jonathan came in and found the nurses station.

They were sent to room 312, and found Whitney laying there, asleep.

They came in, and took their seats next to her bed.

The nurse came to check on her, and took her vitals.

"She has a few broken ribs and a broken wrist, and had to have some serious stitches on her chest, but she will be ok. She opted to have a laser treatment and they put her to sleep for that, so she probably will sleep for a few more hours".

Jennifer turned to Jonathan.

"I want to stay here with her, at least till her family arrives. You can go home if you want, I will be ok".

"I am not leaving you, if you want to stay, we will stay".

They settled in, and Jonathan went to the cafeteria to get them something to drink.

Jennifer went and spoke with the nurse, and the nurse confirmed that she had some etching on her chest that Whitney had asked them to remove.

"Do you know what it was?"

"Yes. It was a word- unchaste, I believe. Kids these days will do so many stupid things".

"Has her family been notified?"

"No, just you. She was holding your number".

"Ok, thank you".

Jennifer went back to Whitney's room and took a seat on the couch.

A few minutes later, Whitney's cell phone started ringing.

It was in her purse, next to her on the bed.

Jennifer saw that it said "MOM", so she answered it.

"Hello, this is Whitney's cell phone".

"Hi. This is Whitney's mom, is she around?"

"Hello, this is Jennifer Hart. I own the boutique that Whitney works at-and Whitney is actually in the hospital."

"What happened?"

"She was attacked tonight, but I don't know anything else because she's asleep. The nurse said that she has a few broken ribs, a broken wrist, and she had to get some stitches".

"What hospital is she in?"

"Bel Air Community Hospital, in Los Angeles. Room 312".

"Ok, thank you. We live in Fresno. We are driving down right now".

"My husband and I will stay here with her till you get here".

"Thank you".

They hung up, and Jennifer covered herself with her coat.

Jonathan came back a few minutes later.

"What took you so long?"

"I know how you love your coconut sweet tea, and they were out, so I waited for them to brew you some fresh".

She squeezed his chin, and then took it from him as he sat next to her.

"Her mom just called, and is on coming down from Fresno. I told her we would stay here with her till they got here".

She turned to look at him.

"Darling…I spoke with Lt. Gray yesterday. He told me that Kelsey had "impure" carved into her chest. And Sloane, she had the word 'unclean' carved into hers. And now Whitney has the word 'unchaste' carved into her chest. Don't you see- it has to be because of the birth control. The creepy guy at the pharmacy-he thinks that girls should remain pure and holy, and by taking birth control, you are no longer pure. So, he's killing them to keep them pure".

"Jennifer, we can't just accuse someone of murder-that's a pretty big leap".

"Jonathan, it's the only thing that fits. They all used the same pharmacy. Kelsey had the word 'impure' carved into her chest. The other two, have a synonym of impure carved into theirs. All three of them are on birth control, too. It fits, I am telling you, it fits".

"And I think you are jumping to conclusions, darling. You have nothing to base this on."

"I have a feeling… and I just know in my heart that this is the link".

He didn't say anything, he just looked at her.

"You don't trust me?"

"I didn't say that".

"You didn't have to, the look on your face says it all".

"Jennifer-"

"Jonathan, I have always trusted you, especially when you had a hunch or a gut feeling. Why can't you do the same for me?"

Her eyes were blazing.

"Darling, I think you are overly tired, and need to get some rest".

"Don't you dare patronize me".

"I'm not".

"Oh, the hell you're not".

She turned away from him and rested her head on the arm of the couch.

He sighed, and squeezed the bridge of his nose.

A few minutes later, he attempted to put his arm around her but she pulled away from him.

He heard her deep breathing, and knew she was asleep. He laced his fingers through hers and tried to get some sleep himself.

***A few hours later***

Jennifer woke up to go to the bathroom, and saw that Jonathan had taken hold of her hand. She let go and moved his arm off her and headed to the bathroom. When she came out, she went and sat in the recliner on the opposite side of the room.

He was still sleeping.

Whitney was sleeping as well, but starting to moan.

About 20 minutes later, she woke up.

"Hi sweetheart. You are in the hospital. You are pretty banged up, but you are going to be ok".

Whitney nodded.

"I tried to call you".

"It's ok. The hospital called me and said you were clutching the business card. Your mom called your cell phone while you were sleeping, and she's on her way. She should be here soon".

She nodded.

"Are you hungry, or thirsty?"

"I would love some water".

"I'll get you some, hang tight".

Jennifer ran down the hall to the vending machine and got her a bottle of water and came right back.

"Here you go".

Whitney took several sips.

Jennifer pulled the chair up to her bedside.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not much to say. I went to a new pharmacy tonight, and when I came out, he was at the light across the street from me. I got in my car and headed home, and when I got out of my car in my complex, he was there and insisted on carrying my packages to my door. So, I started walking to a different apartment because I didn't want him to know where I lived, and as we got closer, he started freaking out and preaching to me and then he started hitting me and kicking me and after a while, I just blacked out".

"Did you recognize him?"

"Yes. He was the guy from the store this morning-the one who wanted to use the phone. He was in that distinctive car- the white mustang with the red stripe down the middle."

Jennifer handed her some water again.

"Do you think the boutique is the link?"  
"No. I think the pharmacy is. I think he follows the girls he meets at the pharmacy and gets enraged when they purchase birth control from him, so he stalks them again and kills them, or tries to".

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to ruin your evening".

"You didn't ruin anything. You work for me, so I have a responsibility to keep you safe".

Whitney nodded.

Just then, her mom and dad and sister came in.

Jennifer moved out of their way so that they could have time together.

She woke up Jonathan.

"Jonathan…we can go home now".

He stood up.

They walked over to her bed.

"Whitney, can you please tell my husband who did this to you?"

"The man from the store today that wanted to use the phone".

He nodded.

Whitney's parents thanked Jonathan and Jennifer for staying with her, and then the Hart's left.

They were quiet on their way out of the hospital and to the car.

As soon as they were both in the car, Jonathan looked at Jennifer.

"Ok, you made your point".

"Yes, and you didn't trust me".

"That's not what this is about".

"It absolutely is what this is about".

Jennifer was quiet the rest of the way home.

As soon as they got home, they headed upstairs and went to bed.

It was 3:30 in the morning, and they were exhausted.


	5. Chapter 5

***The next morning***

Jonathan woke up when his alarm went off, and got in the shower. When he got out, Jennifer was downstairs making coffee and starting breakfast.

He came in and found her at the stove, with her back to him.

He wrapped his arms around her waist, and pulled her to him.

"Morning, darling".

"Morning". She turned and kissed him.

"You're up early".

"Well, I wanted to be at the boutique early today so we can deal with this".

He nodded.

They had a quiet breakfast and then she quickly did the dishes.

They were headed to the door at the same time.

Before they could go out the front door, he leaned up against the door and turned to face her.

"I'm sorry for not trusting you, Jennifer. You have good instincts and you're feelings are usually spot on. I should have trusted you, and I do trust you".

"Thank you".

He leaned down and kissed her and then they headed to the boutique.

He followed her, and parked right next to her.

Jonathan had hired the security company to be there 24/7, so he spoke with the security guard while she unlocked and went inside and got all the lights on.

Jennifer was balancing the books, and covering Whitney's shifts when Jonathan came in to the office around 8:45.

"Darling, I am going to walk down to the bookstore for the meeting with the other store owners. I will be back in about an hour".

"Ok".

He kissed her goodbye and headed out.

She watched the camera footage from the night before, and saw that the guy had actually sat in the parking lot until after the store closed. She got a very uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach.

She couldn't shake the fact that she knew he was going to strike again, and more than likely with another one of her employees. She devised a plan.

She grabbed the phone, and called Susan Kendall.

"Susan, hi. It's Jennifer. I need a favor".

About 10 minutes later, her plan was in motion.

Jonathan returned from his meeting, and filled her in.

"Darling, I am going to work till 7 tonight, so I will see you when I get home".

"Ok, love you".

She kissed him goodbye and got to work.

She and Natalie worked all day on resetting the store, and restocking everything. Occasionally, she would go to the window and see if the man was sitting in the parking lot. Every time, he was sitting there.

Around 5, she noticed he had left. All of her employees were accounted for.

She decided to take a chance.

***Wagner's pharmacy***

Jennifer drove to Wagner's pharmacy, and drove around the block looking at it, and figuring out what she wanted to do.

Her heart was beating a mile a minute, but she knew she had to do this.

She parked, and went inside, and headed to the pharmacy counter.

"Hi, I need to pick up a prescription for Jennifer Edwards, please".

The man walked over to the container that held the filled prescriptions, and looked for her name.

"Here it is. Do you have any questions?"

"Actually, yes I do. It's for a type of birth control that I have never taken before. Can I have an occasional glass of wine or an occasional cocktail while I am on this medicine?"

She could see his face change once she mentioned birth control.

"I don't think it will be a problem at all, Ms. Edwards".

She nodded.

"Have you used our pharmacy before?"

"No, this is my first time".

"Can you fill out this information sheet so I can get you in the system?"

She quickly filled it out and handed it to him.

"Oh, I see you live in Mulholland Canyon, here in Bel Air. That's a gorgeous area".

"Yes, it is. We like it a lot".

She paid him, and headed out of the store.

There was an alley behind the store that led to some woods.

She started to slowly walk down the alley. Just as she predicted, he followed her.

He stayed several paces behind her at first, and she kept walking.

As soon as she got to the woods, she took off running, and so did he. He caught up to her and knocked her to the ground, and was on top of her, when the members of her security company that she had begged to help her, were in camouflage in the woods, and jumped out and tackled him. They had struggled, but not for very long. She had a couple scrapes and bruises, but that was it.

He had a ligature in his hands, and a knife in his pocket.

"She's not pure, she's been defiled". He was yelling it as they held him down.

One of the security guards called the police, and they came and picked him up.

The police officer took Jennifer's statement, and then released her.

"His name is Andrew Weston, and the DA will call you when his court date is and let you know if you need to testify".

"Thank you, officer".

She drove back to the boutique, and told the girls that it was over, and that he had been caught.

Everyone was so relieved and so thankful. She told them goodnight, and headed home.

***Willow Pond***

Jonathan was waiting on her with dinner. He had made her a wedge salad, and had grilled them some shrimp skewers.

"Hi, have a good day?"

"Yes, actually, I did".

She had decided she wanted to get him nice and relaxed before she told him about her involvement in catching Andrew.

She went to him and kissed him.

"Dinner is almost ready".

"Great, I am starved".

She went upstairs and changed clothes, and then came back down to join him for dinner.

She did the dishes after they were done eating, and then went and took a long bubble bath.

After about 20 minutes, she was just about to get out of the tub when Jonathan came in.

He scrubbed her back for her, and loved on her some, and then helped her out of the tub.

She put on her nightgown and fluffed up her hair a little, and went to join him in bed.

He grabbed her and put a blindfold on her.

"Jonathan, what are you doing?"

"Just trust me. You do trust me, don't you?"

"Implicitly, you know that".

"Ok, so trust me again."

He took her nightgown off her, and helped her put on some yoga pants and a t-shirt, and a pair of flip flops.

He scooped her up and carried her downstairs, and out to the side porch.

He stood her up, and then embraced her.

She hugged him back.

"Darling, I wanted to show you how proud I am of you, and I had this all planned out. But then, someone called me and informed me that I could do it sooner than I had planned. So, I thought about it, and decided that yes, I wanted to do this as soon as possible. And, then right after that, I received another phone call, and I had to sit down and figure out how I felt about it. I decided to go ahead with the surprise, because I am so proud of you, and I trust your instincts 100%".

"Jonathan, if this is about our convo last night, we got past that, I swear it".

"It's not. I promise".

He opened the door, and led her outside.

"OK, are you ready?"

"Yes".

He took the blindfold off and pointed her towards the surprise.

Over in the carport, was a brand new, BMW convertible, in Mediterranean Blue Metallic. It had a bright red bow on it, and he was holding the keys. The license plate said "MYHART".

She squealed and ran to it, and got in.

"Darling, take a ride with me?"

"Absolutely".

They took a short ride through the canyon, and then came back to the house.

She parked in the front, and they went inside.

She embraced him and kissed him several times.

"I love my surprise, darling. Thank you".

"You're welcome".

They went and sat on the couch.

"Darling, who were the phone calls you were talking about from?"

"Well the first one was from the dealer. I had ordered your BMW about a month ago, and didn't expect it till 2 months or so from now".

"And the second one?"

"Lt. Gray."

"Oh? What did he have to say?"

She was panicky, but tried to hide it.

"It's ok. I am proud of you for catching him". He kissed the tip of her nose.

"You are? I thought you were going to be mad at me".

"I was at first, but I realize why you did it-to protect the girls at the boutique. If you didn't have them to worry about it, then it would have been reckless. And besides, Lt. Gray told me that you took security along with you, so I know that you weren't ever really in danger and he wasn't ever really going to hurt you. You did good, Red".

She wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Well, thank you".

"Are you sure you're alright?"

"I have a few bumps and bruises, but otherwise, I am just fine".

He kissed her a few times and held her close.

"Darling, the license plate on the BMW doesn't fall in line".

"Doesn't fall in line, what do you mean?"

"Well, all of our vehicles, the license plates say '1Hart', or '2Harts', and so on. This one doesn't".

"Darling, what does it say? Read it again".

"It says 'MYHART'"

"Yes, because that's exactly what you are- you are my heart, and you always will be, Mrs. H.".

She teared up and kissed him.

"And you are mine, Mr. H."

He picked her up and carried her upstairs.

***A few weeks later***

Jonathan and Jennifer arrived at the tarmac a little after 7. They had just had a wonderful meal at La Scala, and were ready to start their vacation.

They were flying to the Maldives, and it was going to be a long trip. Their pilot Jack, had figured out they could break it up by flying to Singapore, spending a day or two, and then flying the rest of the way.

Jonathan had decided that he was going to arrange for surprises for Jennifer the whole time, since she was the one surprising him with this trip.

They climbed on board their plane, and he took their bags to their room at the back of the plane. Jennifer poured them both a glass of champagne, and then buckled up, and he came and buckled up next to her.

He wrapped his arm around her, and she leaned in close to him.

They picked up their glasses and clinked them.

"Cheers to a wonderful vacation".

He leaned forward and kissed her before they both took a sip.

They relaxed and chatted some, and then about an hour later, they decided to head to bed.

Jonathan went up to the cockpit and told Brad they were heading to bed and to call them if he needed them.

He came back and joined Jennifer, and then they headed to the bedroom.

He let her go first. She opened the door, and found that he had lit a few candles and spread some rose petals on the bed, in a heart shape.

"When did you do this?"

"Earlier, when you went to the bathroom".

"Very nice, Mr. H".

"All for you, Mrs. H."

He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her passionately as they headed to the bed. They broke their kiss only long enough to undress.

She went over to their luggage and got something out of her bag. She kissed him, and whispered, 'be right back', before disappearing into the bathroom.

When she emerged, he was in the bed, under the covers.

She had on a white lace teddy, and pulled her hair up in a clip.

She came and joined him in bed, and he immediately wrapped his arms around her.

"You are so beautiful".

He kissed her nice and slow, and covered her body in kisses before taking the teddy off her. She ran her fingers through his hair and then drew a ragged breath, as he entered her.

She squeezed her legs around him, which he loved, and he told her so, as he thrust in and out of her.

"Come on, honey".

She kissed him as they went over the edge together, and then they lay there, completely exhausted. He was holding her close and kissing her lightly and just enjoying being close to her.

"I love you, Red".

"I love you too, Jonathan Charles".

A few minutes later, he heard her begin to breathe deeply, so he knew that she was in a deep sleep. He covered them with the sheets and blankets and then fell asleep with her.

***Three days later***

They finally arrived in the Maldives. Their time in Singapore had been fun, but all they did was sleep off the jetlag so that they could fly to the Maldives from there.

Jennifer was excited for him to see the resort where they were staying. She had been looking at the brochures and mentioned that she wanted them to go scuba diving, and on a jungle drive, and have a spa day.

He made careful note of all that she said, so that he could arrange it.

They checked in, and were taken to their room.

Jonathan was like a kid at Christmas, and got more and more excited about everything that he was seeing.

They took the elevator down to their floor, and walked to the end of the hall. Their room was all the way at the end, last one on the right.

Jennifer unlocked the door, and Jonathan pushed their luggage cart inside. His jaw dropped open, when he realized they were staying in an underwater suite.

They had a king sized bed, that faced a large curved window, where you could watch the creatures of the ocean swim by.

"You like it?"

He turned around and swooped her up into his arms.

"I love it. I absolutely love it!".

He sat her on the bed and then sat next to her.

She sat behind him and scratched his back while he watched the ocean.

They watched for about an hour.

"Darling, do you want to go eat dinner and then come back?"

"Not just yet".

She got up and went to the bathroom, and came back to start unpacking.

He pulled her onto his lap as she walked by.

"Jonathan!"

She smiled at him and kissed him.

"Darling, do you think they are watching us just like we are watching them?"

"I don't know. If they are, they are about to be amazed".

She laughed.

"Oh really?"

"Yes. Let's show them how it's done".

He tossed her on the bed and climbed on top of her and covered her in kisses.

"I love you, Jennifer".

"I love you too, darling".


End file.
